Unless you're dead set on doing a console, you can easily make the column shift work. I'm putting a 5.7 in a 70 Duster with a 545RFE, and will be using column shift. Boden, a member over on FABO (For A Bodies Only) pioneered the column shift in his Duster. You will have to cut a big hunk out of the factory torsion bar cross member to get the 545 up and into where it needs to be, but it's fairly easy to tie it back together and retain it's structural integrity. The 545RFE is worth the trouble, because it has a slip yoke tailshaft, and doesn't need a bunch of electronic stuff to babysit it like a NAG1 does. NAG1 is a stronger transmission, but to me it just ain't worth the trouble! Good luck.